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My good friend Patricia has recently been extolling the virtues of her rice cooker - a purchase that she swears by. "I love my Cuisinart rice cooker," said Patricia, a journalist who works shifts. "The key being, it cooks more than just rice - I've been experimenting with different grains, like farro, and I can steam my vegetables while the grain cooks, or I can blend everything together in one pot - the results are always perfect and delicious."

Why are rice cookers so popular? For starters, they're incredibly versatile - a multi-functional appliance that can save time and valuable countertop space. And it makes gorgeous, fluffy rice. But - calling it a rice cooker may be doing it a disservice as it's capable of cooking so much more. From dinners to sides, breakfasts to gorgeous desserts, elaborate recipes to plain and simple - rice cookers are always at the ready.

Industry officials report an increase in the rice cooker's popularity: “We continue to see growth in the rice cooker market year over year. People are cooking and eating more rice and whole grains driven by changes in diet and ethnic influences,” says Louise Sauve-Nicholls of Hamilton Beach Brands Canada. "Rice cookers have become much more versatile and convenient than ever before.”

It's also on the must-have list for young adults heading back to college, or settling down in their first abode. "Rice cookers are quickly becoming a staple appliance for many students because of their versatility for cooking more than just rice," notes Christine Tam of Best Buy Canada. "Brands like Hamilton Beach and Panasonic help make cooking a breeze, with features like easy one-touch push buttons. Other features, like temperature and time sensors and air-tight sealed lids, help produce precise, consistent results for perfect cooking.”

“When I was living in residence at Carleton University, I didn’t have a kitchen in my dorm room so I put my rice cooker to work, says communications executive Debbie Lu. "I would use it to make rice, noodles, steamed veggies, dumplings and soup – you name it! It was also a life saver in winter when -20 weather was an everyday thing in Ottawa...I didn’t have to go outside because my rice cooker was like a one-stop shop!”

Rice cookers are available in all sorts of sizes and models, created by companies such as Black & Decker, Breville, Rival, T-Fal, Cuisinart, Panasonic and Zojirushi, to name a few. You can spend as little as $20 or over $200, buy a small 4-cup cooker or a more substantial size, it's money well spent when you think of the time you're saving, the easy clean-up, and how creative you can get when you start whipping up one-pot wonders in no time.

The following recipes are courtesy of Hamilton Beach (they can be adapted to regular stove-top cooking.)